Forget what we said about the oddness of the Hidden Chronicles and Big Brother cross-promotion - a new promotion in the Ville has topped it on the weird scale, as Courtyard by Marriott, a hotel chain, has partnered with Zynga to promote... football? We seriously can't make this up, and you'll find the proof of this promotion waiting for you in your game.

This event comes in the form of a timed quest and themed items that are now available to purchase for your pad. The quest is called Courtyard Football Party and you'll have two weeks to complete it (hopefully it won't take you nearly that long).

Courtyard Football Party

Place 2 Branded Courtyard Items

Buy a Courtyard SportsVision TV

Watch Football on the Courtyard SportsVision TV

There are five branded items available in the marketplace, ranging in price from 150 coins to 2,100 coins. If you're looking to complete this quest in the cheapest way possible, you'll want to purchase the Courtyard Touchdown Rug for 150 coins and the SportsVision TV for 2,100 coins, since you need to purchase the TV either way to finish this quest. Also, don't worry about the game's wording of placing these items "in your den," as simply purchasing them should count, regardless of where you place them. Just remember to have a sofa in front of it so you can actually watch football to complete this quest.

When you finish this quest, you'll receive a Courtyard Paper Football Table. You'll also be told that you need to visit this promotion's branded Facebook fan page, but as of this writing, that adds nothing to the experience. It's interesting that you'll have two weeks to finish this quest when it's so simple, but I suppose that's more for the users that might need to take time to earn the 2,100 coins necessary to purchase the TV than anything else. Just remember to complete this quest at some time within the next two weeks (and purchase the themed items in their 16 day time limit) so that you don't miss out entirely.

What do you think of this Courtyard by Marriott, football-themed promotion in the Ville? Were you able to quickly complete these three steps to earn your prize? Sound off in the comments!